


Give Me a Chance to Come Through

by Ardatli



Series: There's No People Like Show People [2]
Category: Young Avengers
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Theater, First Kiss, Getting Together, M/M, Self-Indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-05
Updated: 2013-12-05
Packaged: 2018-01-03 12:59:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1070725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ardatli/pseuds/Ardatli
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A figure stood in the aisle when Teddy straightened up, half-shrouded in the shadows cast by the on-stage worklights. He jumped at the sight, totally unexpected in the building he’d assumed was entirely empty. It took a second for his brain to catch up with his eyes and recognize the slim, dark shape. <i>Billy.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Give Me a Chance to Come Through

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the counterpart to 'Theater Life,' from Teddy's POV. Unbetaed, and potentially either the seed for something longer, or one in a series of short vignettes. 
> 
> Title from '‘Music and the Mirror,’ from A Chorus Line; quoted lyrics are from ‘Run to the Water,’ by Live. This is my anthem for Teddy.

“Run to the water and find me there, burnt to the core but not broken-“ Tommy and Kate hated working in the theater later into the night, but it was Teddy’s favorite time to build. He didn’t have to worry about the hammering and drills disturbing anyone, he could take his time and make sure everything was prepped for the guys showing up the next morning to paint and finish, and best of all, he could put his music up on loud and sing along without worrying about any of the actually trained performers catching him mid-caterwaul.

Not that his voice was _bad_ ; at least, he didn’t think so. But no-one was going to be paying to listen to him any time soon.

There; that did it as far as the support brackets were concerned; what was next on his list? Hooks behind stage right for the dressers to preset their quick-changes. “We'll cut through the madness,” Teddy sang along to the small stereo, dropping a word here and there as he rummaged in his tool chest for spare hooks. “Of these streets below the moon.”

A figure stood in the aisle when Teddy straightened up, half-shrouded in the shadows cast by the on-stage worklights. He jumped at the sight, totally unexpected in the building he’d assumed was entirely empty. It took a second for his brain to catch up with his eyes and recognize the slim, dark shape. _Billy._

Of course it would be him. Billy’s job wasn’t as physical as the rest of theirs, not as immediately obvious in terms of bodies in rehearsals and watching sets and costumes come together. That made it easy to forget, sometimes, that in many ways he worked harder and longer hours than they did. Teddy had seen him working a room at one of their fundraisers, his eyes alight with fire and passion as he described their activities – the upcoming season, the kids’ programs, the workshops and scholarships, the press coverage he wanted on all of the above – and been in awe. Teddy was a dime a dozen by comparison, just one more carpenter with an associate’s degree and a promotion.

Maybe he had a bit of a crush on the guy. So sue him. Theoretically there was nothing stopping them; theater companies were incestuous enough as it was, and it was more usual to date within a company than outside of it. But Billy had a Masters from somewhere fancy, and his brother worked side by side with them all day every day, and when Billy got tired of hanging out with a hammer-wielding jock... well. There was more awkward there than Teddy had the right to start.

No matter how amazing he looked. Especially now as he walked down the aisle of the house, his hair a floppy, tangled mess, his glasses stuck in the middle of it, and the sleeves of his white dress shirt rolled up to his elbows. The rest of his shape was mostly hidden by tailored trousers, which meant he’d had some kind of meeting earlier that day with finance, or sponsors, or something. Still. It was hard to ignore the legs under there. Billy had worn jeans to work once, and once only, one weekend when there had been no chance of having to deal with anyone outside the company. They had hugged his legs in ways his pressed trousers didn’t, cupping every swell and angle. Teddy had choked on his tea, gone into a coughing fit, and hidden in the scene shop for the rest of the day.

“Sorry,” Billy apologized, as Teddy reached out and turned the stereo off. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“No problem,” Teddy shrugged it off, jogging down the stairs at the side of the stage to meet Billy halfway. If only he was wearing something a little nicer; the ribbed black tank top and ripped jeans were clean and on the top of the laundry basket that morning, easy to grab and go and perfect for a day when the only people seeing him were supposed to be the other techs. Not so mature otherwise. “I didn’t think anyone else was still here.” Was it his imagination, or was Billy actually staring at his shoulders? It was hard to tell in the dim light down in the house, but he looked a bit flushed. “What can I do for you?”

Billy was definitely pink now, and he made a sort of strangled sound before shaking his head and focussing down at the papers in his hand. _Hunh._ “I, uh. We’re scheduling the photo call for Thursday afternoon at two. I just need to know if enough of the set will be ready to do it here, or if I should try and book a studio.”

“Oh, sure,” Teddy answered, relief running hot through him. Easy question. “I’ve got the guys coming in to paint tomorrow, and there are only a few small details after that. Mostly props stuff that we can work around.”

Billy’s stare kept jumping up to his shoulders and then back down at the pages, and he looked uncomfortable about something. A faint glimmer of something – hope? – started to flicker down inside.

Teddy knew he was attractive; he wasn’t stupid. He’d spent all his spare time working out during his last couple of years of high school, trying to shed the skinny little frame that had netted him nothing but invisibility. Puberty had helped, carpentry had helped more, and at least he had that much to offer as far as dating went.

As for the rest of it, though... Billy and Tommy came from money, that much he knew, even though Tommy refused to admit to it. Not as much as Kate, the former debutante-turned-designer, but certainly more than Teddy and his mother had ever seen at any one time. Billy was blisteringly intelligent, articulate and witty, capable of riling up a crowd, or reducing someone to tears in seconds with the sharp side of his tongue. He was beautiful, educated, mercurial and wild.

Teddy was earthbound, watching him soar.

He had a half-decent body, sure. But that never kept anyone for long. Maybe – just maybe – it could be different with Billy? They were already friends, liked so many of the same things, shared a huge portion of their working hours-

Which was the other major downside, if everything ended up going to hell.

“That’s great,” Billy said, making a note in his rapid, angular handwriting on the papers in his hand. “It looks... great,” he said, not quite repeating himself, looking over Teddy’s shoulder at the mostly unpainted set. It wasn’t the most elaborate thing he’d ever built, but the bridge would hold and the archways had fake carvings that had come out well, and once the backdrop was in, it would look pretty good. If he did say so himself.

“Thanks,” Teddy replied, when what he really wanted to say was more along the lines of _‘I’m just about done for the night; come have dinner with me. Let me cook for you. Take the weight of the world off your shoulders for a while.’_

He chickened out.

“I, uh.” Billy said, articulately. He waved in the general direction of the doors. “I should leave you to work,” he said, slow and reluctant, like there was something he, too, wasn’t saying. He moistened his lips, swallowed and his adam’s apple bobbed with the motion. His lower lip gleamed and Teddy fought the urge to lean in and just plant one on him, messy, unexpected and glorious.

“Yeah, sure,” Teddy said, and he really shouldn’t turn and bang his head against the wall, no matter how good it would feel. “I’ll get back to it, then.”

“I’ll see you later.” Billy turned, slowly, his shoulders slumping as he headed back toward the double doors out to the lobby.

The doors swung closed behind him, and Teddy let himself collapse once Billy was well out of sight. He turned, rested his head against the column beside him, then slowly leaned back and banged his head against the wall. _Dammit!_

It felt better than it should have, so he did it again, just for good measure.

_Damn._  


Running footsteps echoed in the mostly-empty space, and when Teddy turned, opening his eyes, he saw Billy, his face flushed and his papers wrinkled beyond recovery in his hand, charging down the aisle towards him.

“Look,” Billy said with no other greeting, the words tumbling out of him like water down a mountainside. “This might be awkward, considering we work together, and if it goes wrong then it’ll be unavoidable, and probably a real mess, but-“ Teddy’s heart clenched in his chest, his mouth going dry. “I really like you,” Billy confessed in a rush. “And if I don’t do this right now I’m going to keep chickening out.” _Oh god._ “I was wondering if you would like to-“

Teddy didn’t wait for him to finish his sentence, couldn’t wait a second longer. “Yes,” he said, and Billy stopped mid-babble.

They blinked at each other.

When Billy spoke again, he was calmer, more controlled, his head tilting slightly in confusion. “You don’t even know what I was going to ask.”

Teddy shrugged. Did he need to? Billy wanted to go out with him, that much was enough. The rest was just details. The excitement bubbled up from down deep inside, drowning the fear and sweeping it away. “Dinner and a movie?” he asked, “I’d say yes. Coffee on the weekend? Yes. Drinks and dancing? I’m good for that too. Walk into Mordor to get rid of the One Ring? I couldn’t think of a better travel companion. Hit me.”

“Saving Middle Earth might be a little intense for a first date,” Billy replied, his whole face lighting up with a smile that was shyer and more wistful-hopeful-earnest than Teddy had ever seen on him before.

“That’s cool,” Teddy put his hands in his pockets and lounged against the column, trying to look casual. “I can wait.”

He was rewarded with a laugh, free and easy, and _god, he was so screwed._ But for the first time since that first meeting, when Tommy had dragged his twin brother through the office to introduce him around as the new communications guy and Teddy had fallen head over heels, just like that... For the first time, it was okay. And he smiled back at Billy pretty much the same way.

“Would tomorrow be too soon?” Billy asked. He looked down at the crumpled sheaf of papers in his hand and winced, tried to smooth them out against his thigh. "If I don't want to look, you know, _over-eager_."

“I was going to suggest tonight, if you can wait for me to change into something a little less disreputable,” Teddy offered, testing the waters. Billy’s eyes lit up, and he caught himself mid-nod.

“I, uh. Like the look. For the record.”

“Not exactly dress-code compliant if you’re taking me someplace nice, though.”And like that, just so easy, the energy that flared thick between them destroyed any remnants of tension, just, knocked it all away until he could practically hear Billy’s thoughts inside his head, they were so in tune.

“I’m taking you?” Billy teased, his smile only getting wider. “Is that how it’s going to work?”

“You asked,” Teddy retorted, laughing. “That makes it your problem. That or we can rock-paper-scissors for it. Loser buys this time?”

Billy shook his head firmly. “Not a chance. Neither of us is a loser tonight.”

It was corny, it was hopelessly cheesy, and it made Teddy’s heart pound and his breath catch in his throat. He had to be just as starry-eyed as Billy was right now, and it was ridiculous – they were grown men, not kids with their first crushes – and yet something about it all felt brilliant and shiny-new. A Christmas present still in the paper, all crisp and full of possibility.

He wasn’t sure what, exactly, he was going to say until his mouth was open and he was saying it, and then it was too late to take it back even if he wanted to. “I’d like to kiss you,” he confessed. “Now, if that’s okay.” Billy’s lush mouth curved up in a smile, the fullness of his bottom lip so damned tempting. It would be nothing at all to step forward, pull Billy into his arms, and taste him for real.

“Before the first date? Might be a little intense,” Billy teased him, but he stepped into Teddy’s space and laid a gentle, tentative hand on Teddy’s hip. The contact burned, heat seeping in through his jeans, every inch of him suddenly desperately aware of Billy in front of him.

Teddy pulled his hands out of his pockets and dropped them to rest at Billy’s waist, his thumbs pressed against the soft white cotton of Billy’s shirt. He had an undershirt on under the button-up, barely visible at the neck, and one day Teddy was going to peel both of those off him at once: tug the shirt-tails from Billy’s waistband and over his head, run his hands over Billy’s chest, feel the strength in his shoulders, taste every inch of his skin and commit it all to sense memory.

“I’m counting on it,” Teddy said. He leaned down, just enough to bridge the couple of inches difference in their heights, and brushed his lips against Billy’s. Billy’s lips were a little bit dry, a little bit chapped, and he tasted like sweet, milky coffee. Teddy fisted his hands in Billy’s clothes and pulled him in closer, Billy’s arms slipping tightly around his waist. Billy opened his mouth, grazed his teeth gently across Teddy’s lower lip, and the shudder that ran through his body carried through to Teddy’s, their chests and hips pressed tightly together.

Teddy was out of breath by the time Billy let him go and stepped back, and would not have ended the kiss a second sooner even if he’d been suffocating. Billy’s cheeks were pink again, his hair even more mussed, and now he had wrinkles in his shirt to match. “Wow,” he said, not as articulate as usual, and Teddy laughed.

“Yeah,” he agreed, his voice coming out breathy and full of wonder. “Wow.” He swallowed, then, took a second to get his bearings. “I have some better clothes here; give me five minutes to change, then we can go grab something to eat?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Billy nodded, then brought his handful of re-crunched papers up, looking at them with a rueful grin. “I’m going to go and try to flatten these out again. My desk, in ten?”

Teddy nodded, his heart not slowing down in the slightest. He could be making the biggest mistake of his life right now, but he wasn’t the least bit sorry. He made his promise. “I’ll be there.”


End file.
